Diagnosis of canine heart diseases with special reference to transthoracic echocardiography
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Date
2022-09
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College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara Campus
Abstract
A total of 14050 dogs were registered; out of which 88 dogs were suspected for
heart diseases based on clinical manifestations and 38 dogs with overall incidence rate of
0.27% were diagnosed with various heart diseases based on thoracic radiography,
electrocardiography and two-dimensional, M-mode and colour-flow Doppler
echocardiography. The incidence of cardiac affections were found to be highest in
Labrador Retriever (39.47%), male dogs (63.15%), age group of >6-9 years (31.57%).
Radiographically 20 dogs were diagnosed with cardiac affections and found
Pleural effusion with highest occurrence (23.68%), followed by left sided cardiomegaly
(21.05%) and right sided cardiomegaly (7.89%).
Electrocardiographically 30 dogs were diagnosed positive for cardiac affections
with highest occurrence of Sinus bradycardia (23.68%) followed by P-mitrale (18.42%),
ventricular hypertrophy and pericardial effusion (7.89% each), 1st degree AV block, Ppulmonale
and myocardial disease (5.26% each), ventricular septal enlargement and
atrial fibrillation (2.63% each). However, transthoracic echocardiography was taken as
gold standard diagnostic modality with which 38 dogs were diagnosed positive for heart
diseases.
The most frequently diagnosed cardiac disease using 2D-mode, M-mode were
Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) (47.36%), Left atrial (LA) enlargement (15.78%),
Pericardial effusion, Left ventricular posterior wall (LVPW) hypertrophy (7.89%) and
Right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy(5.26%). With Doppler mode echocardiography the
occurrence of Mitral valve insufficiency was found to be highest (65.78%) followed by
Tricuspid valve insufficiency (52.63%) and aortic valve insufficiency (10.52%).
The haematological parameters i.e. TEC, TLC, thrombocytes, lymphocytes,
granulocytes, monocytes and Hb and biochemical parameters i.e. SGPT, SGOT, BUN,
Creatinine, Total protein, albumin, sodium and potassium revealed non-significant
(p>0.05) role in diagnosis of cardiac affections in dogs. However, serum calcium and
non-specific LDH appeared to be significantly (p≤0.05) influenced by occurrence of
heart disease and both the parameters were found reliable for diagnosis of heart diseases.
The serum Ca and non specific LDH can be used together in combination to improve the
efficacy of diagnosis for cardiac affections.
The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of thoracic radiography was found to be
58.82%, 76.19% and 65.45% respectively upon taking echocardiography as gold
standard diagnostic method. Whereas, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of
electrocardiography was found to be 81.08 %, 60% and 76.60% respectively.
Based on the present study electrocardiography was found to be more efficient
in diagnosis of heart diseases for dogs in comparison to thoracic radiography. However,
transthoracic echocardiography using two-dimensional, m-mode and colour-doppler has
been found to be the most efficient diagnostic modality in diagnosis of heart diseases in
dogs as 43.18% (n=38) were diagnosed positive out of 88 suspected cases for heart
disease presented during the study period.